Display method and apparatus



July 3, 1956 E. l.. BRADY 2,753,052

DISPLAY METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed OCT.. 22, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY f ATTCRNEY5,

July 5, 1956 E. L.. BRADY 2,753,052

DISPLAY METHQD AND APPARATUS Filed Oct. 22, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J0 y 47 f //l y i 22 0 o 4a ,f6

INVENTOR ige/603W y WORNEYS,

July 3, 1956 E. l., BRADY DISPLAY METHOD AND APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed OCT.. 22, 1949 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O DISPLAY METHOD AND APPARATUS Elmer Leo Brady, Philadelphia, Pa. Application Getober 22, 1949, Serial No. 122,897 4 Claims. (Cl. 211-1.6)

My invention relates to a method and apparatus for displaying such relatively 'flat sheet-like articles as rugs, curtains, carpet material, upholstering material, babys pen pads, linoleum, wallpaper, piece goods, and the like.

A purpose of the invention is to display such articles in an especially attractive and convenient fashion.

A further purpose is to display them in la Way which will especially bring out their attractive qualities, and bring out such qualities in a considerable number of such articles with -minimum waste of time and effort.

A further purpose of 'the invention is to enable the display of such articles in a fashion that'is quite convenient of access, yet is `economical of space.

A further purpose of my invention is to enable such a `display `in which the rugs or the like shall be normally firmly affixed to the display `device yet readily removable p when removal is desired.

Further purposes will appear :in the specification and in the claims.

My invention is illustrated in the drawings 'by a particular `embodiment `chosen from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration `of the principles involved.

Figure l is a perspective view of the apparatus of my invention.

Figure 2 shows `on an enlarged `scale a fragmentary top plan view, broken away, of the head `of the rack of my invention with only a few of its hangers shown.

Figure 3 is an additionally enlarged view mainly in vertical section along `the line 3'-3 of Figure 2, but showing also a hanger omitted from Figure 2.

Figure 4 `is a detailed enlargement `of a `pin as used `in my invention showing its position in `cross section ion the rod.

Figure 5 is -a fragmentary view partly in :cross `section `to an enlarged scale of `a somewhat faltered form of lconstruction of the head and lcolumn with their intermediate anti-friction bearing.

Figure 6 shows a rplan view of `the apparatus of my invention, in a way which illustrates `one phase `of the method of `my invention.

The apparatus of my `invention in the form shown `includes rack '8 and `fan `9.

Rack 8 Ihas circular `base 10, which `preferably is `sufticiently wide and heavy so las not readily to tbe overturned in case the load upon it is somewhat unbalanced,

`but at the same time not suiciently heavy to preclude' moving the rack as a whole `to different parts of the `lloor as may be necessary. The bottommost :part of `the base consists of its three `legs 11, taking the form of broad 'projections :extending slightly `below the rest `of the `base at three equidistant points along its :outside edge. Mounted on this `base is ycolumn 12, `suitably including a metal tube as `its lower 4part andlculrninating at `the 4,top in lcap rod 14 suitably `secured to the `,metal tube.

As shown in Figure 3, cap rod 14 `has lixed around it collar 16 which has araceway Iin iwhich run `ballls 18 of anti-friction bearing 20. This bearing is completed by freely rotatable collar 22 on top of the balls. Collar 22 forms the bottom supporting member of rotatable head 24 which also includes bushing 26-suitably of bronzesurrounding the cap rod. The head also includes top plate 28 and bottom plate 30, duly spaced by spacer 32 which as will be seen surrounds the bushing in an annulus which is H-shaped in cross section. The plates and spacer are held together by the bolts 34, together with their nuts. Extending out from this center portion of the head are hangers 42 consisting of arms 44 and pins 46. Each arm has horizontal top rod 47 secured in one of the circularly arranged holes 48 in the top plate by cotter pins 49 with washers 50 on either side of the hole, and support rod 5l correspondingly secured in a corresponding hole in the bottom plate. As shown in Figure 4, hanger pins 46 `consist of shank 52 horizontally secured in a hole running through top rod 47 of the arm and projecting on each side therefrom, and ends 54 projecting more or less vertically upward from the end of the shank and then `curving over in toward the rod to end in points 56. Where for example, as in Figure l, the article to be displayed is a rectangular rug nearly as wide as the `hanger is long, these pins will preferably be one near each end of the top rod 47. The rugs will then be hung from their two top corners, one rug on each side of `a given hanger. When it has `been hung, the rug will rest on the protruding portions of the Shanks of the pins.

If, as so often happens, someone examining the rug lifts `the bottom of the rug somewhat, the rug thus secured from `these pins will not fall olf the hanger.

It will be understood that the anti-friction thrust bearing used can take other forms. In Figure 5, I show a somewhat variantform of my device in which column 12 has collar 13 to which cap rod 14 is attached as `by welding, and on collar 1,3 is a ball bearing 20 `comprising stationary race 16 on top of which are balls 18, which in turn support rotatable race 22', on which. the rest `of the head rests. It will be understood that rotatable race 22 must be adequately clear from cap rod 14 to keep from binding.

The fan 9 may suitably be a conventional portable elec- `tric `propeller fan such as is often used in homes. A ten inch fan of this type has ben found to be a desirable size for use with a rack holding ordinary throw rugs.

The articles for display, such as rugs 60, are hung `on the hangers of the rack, two to each hanger. Where what is to be displayed is something like linolem or wallpaper, which would be damged by the insertion of the pins through a part intended for sale, it may be deemed preferable to hang up samples with eyelets in the corners.

The rugs on the rack can be put on stationary display as shown in Figure l, with adjacent hangers swung in opposite directions to display an entire rug on each of the two hangers. In this position, the racks hangers and their rugs are asymmetrically distributed about the center of the head, so that the 'load on the head is unbalanced, having a `very considerable horizontal component acting on the `bearing between cap rod 14 and bushing 26.

When it is desired to display the rugs in a very novel `and eflicient fashion as a group, the hangers `should all be `swung iin the same rotational direction in their `holes `until each `hanger arm rests against the adjacent hanger arm asa stop (see Figure 6). This distributes the hangers and their rugs symmetrically :about the center of the head, and in ythe ordinary case will produce an approximately balanced load on the head, Vwith not `more than relatively slight `horizontal component to act `on `the bearing between the cap `rod and bushing. When employing V.this method of display, the fan will be turned on and directed toward the rack to that `side of Aits center toward which thephangers forthe rugs on which the air current will impinge have been swung.

Thus it will produce a force on the rugs and, through them and their hangers, on the head of the rack itself, which will tend to rotate the rack. Against this force kwill be opposed the rotational friction of the head, which, on account of the anti-friction thrust bearing and the relatively balanced condition of the rack, is slight but for various reasons in the usual case will be somewhat greater at starting th-an it is once the rack is moving at low speed.

A fan could be used of such capacity and so directed that its air current would be sumcient to start and continue rotation of the rack throughout the entire range of frictional resistances encountered throughout this relatively balanced condition and also relatively unbalanced conditions of the rack, so long as the rugs presented themselves in suitable positions for it to act on. However, it is preferred to so direct the fan as to make it exert suicient force on the rug to overcome the frictional resistance of the rack when the rack is turning rather slowly in relatively balanced position but not to overcome the resistance of the rack when in unbalanced stationary display position and preferably not ordinarily to overcome the starting resistance of the rack even when not in unbalanced position. I have found that on a rack holding forty-eight throw rugs in the twenty-seven inch by fifty-four inch size, an ordinary ten-inch electric propeller fan with its center directed tangent to a circle within the exterior rug circle and roughly six inches from the edge of that circle will approximately fulfill this condition. Exact adjustment can be secured by turning the air beam outward to reduce the force or inward to increase it. The maximum speed in such a setting occurs when the center of 111e fan is directed tangent to `a circle approximately one foot within the outer rug circle. When the fan is swung inward beyond the point of maximum speed, there is a tendency to produce air currents exerting forces on the other side of some of the rugs, which tends to reduce the speed of the rack and to swing the hangers away from stop position. When the forces are sufiicient, they will open up the hangers into the unbalanced position characteristic of stationary display, tending to stop the rotation.

In displaying rugs, for example, by my preferred method, I thus hang the rugs and swing the hangers into balanced rotational position. I direct a stream of air to just overcome the running friction at the speed I desire, as already described, and start the rack rotating by applying an additional force, appropriately by a push of the hand. The customer and I having stationed ourselves with a good view of the rack, we will see the color and texture of the individual rugs as they go by, in an interesting and attractive spectacle. When a rug is reached which one of us feels may deserve more leisurely and extensive inspection, we have only to put out a hand to stop the rack and swing adjacent rugs apart, giving an excellent View of the entire face of the rug, and throwing the rack into unbalanced position. The rack will then stay there as long as desired. If it is desired to see the rug in position upon the floor, it can readily be lifted off the pins and put there. When the inspection of a particular rug is done, it can readily be rehung, the hangers swung into balanced rotational position and the rack started rotating again with another push, to continue rotating until such time as a more extensive inspection of another rug is desired.

This method of display is not only very attractive, but very economical of time, efort and space.

In the claims, the phrase rugs and the like refers to such relatively at sheet-like articles as rugs, curtains, carpet material, upholstering material, babys pen pads, linoleum, wallpaper, piece goods, and the like.

In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular l need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The method of displaying rugs and the like which comprises placing them in a symmetrical group arranged about an axis and capable of rotation thereabout subject to a certain non-fluid friction, directing eccentricaliy against the group an air stream exerting a force slightly more than sufficient to overcome this friction, putting them into rotation at a constant speed at which the air stream balances this non-fluid friction and the air friction, and with one action of the arms of the displayer stopping the group and throwing the group into an asymmetrical position for better display of an individual rug, at which position the non-uid friction is increased to a value more than suicient to resist the air stream and hold the rugs stationary.

2. A display device for rugs and the like comprising a support, a rotatable head, arms extending outward each from one of a number of symmetrically arranged positions on the head, said arms being swingable into a range of positions which are symmetric, collectively considered, and also swingable into a range of positions which are asymmetric, collectively considered, pins on the arms, articles for display hanging down from the pins, said articles being arranged to form a group balanced around the center of rotation when the arms are in symmetric position, a fan directed along a line passing to one side of the center of rotation of the head but through at least one of the articles, the stream of air from said fan exerting a given torque upon the head, an anti-friction thrust bearing between the support and the head having a rotational frictional torque less than the aforesaid torque of the air stream, a bearing for any horizontal component of the force exerted by the head on the support, this latter bearing having a rotational frictional torque when the arms are symmetrically arranged which is less than the difference between the torque of the air stream and the rotational frictional torque of the thrust bearing, and having a rotational frictional torque when the arms are asymmetrically arranged which is greater than that difference.

3. A display rack for rugs having a base, a column on the base and rigid therewith, a collar on the column, an anti-friction thrust bearing on the collar, a rotatable head on the bearing and having a sleeve bearing around the column, an annulus which is H-shaped in a longitudinal section taken from the center outward and which surrounds the sleeve bearing, a top and a bottom plate held against the top and bottom respectively of the annulus and each projecting outside thereof in a lip, a plurality of swingable arms each comprising a top horizontal straight rod member swingably secured in the lip of the top plate and a bottom rod member swingably secured in the lip of the bottom plate and stretching outward and upward in the same vertical plane as the top member to join it at its outward end, and, toward each end of the top rod member of each arm, a pin having a substantially horizontal shank Secured in the arm and passing through it and out a substantial distance on both sides and having ends running substantially vertically upward from the ends of the shank and then curving back over into points which are located at a spot about and outside of the arm and are directed substantially toward each other.

4. A device for display of rugs comprising a stand, a vertical column centrally mounted on that stand, a bearing of the anti-friction type mounted on and surrounding said column near but not at the top thereof, a circular head rotatably mounted on said bearing in a position surrounding the portion of said column above said bearing, a plurality of'arms adapted to hold rugs and extending outward from the head and having horizontal top portions substantially longer than the vertical size of the head and gradually sloping lower portions, the top portion and lower portion of a given arm being pivotally mounted one above the other respectively in the top outer and lower outer portion of the head and the outer ends of said top and lower portions of a given arm being joined, the slope of the lower portion being downward toward the inside, and the axes of pivot of the different arms in the head being symmetrically arranged about the center of rotation of the head with each arm swingable about its particular axis of pivot between limits fixed by the pivoting portion of the arms in the adjacent positions, and said upper portions of said arms each having near each end thereof a hook passing horizontally through said arm and turning vertically upward one each side and ending in a point extending sharply inward, the inside of said head and the outside of said column surrounded by said head together forming a journal bearing for any horizontal component of force, which journal bearing is adapted to continuous rotation, has a coeticient of friction greater than that of the antifriction bearing and s substantially shorter in the distance from the highest point of mutual horizontal bearing surface to the lowest point of mutual horizontal bearing surface than the length of the horizontal portion of the swingable arms, and a fan directed tangentially into the path of the rugs if rotated with all the arms at one end of' their range of pivot.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 409,160 Bacon Aug. 20, 1889 817,353 Wheeler Apr. 10, 1906 936,855 Best Oct. 12, 1909 993,859 McCabe May 30, 1911 1,318,506 Rand Oct. 14, 1919 1,414,754 Smith May 2, 1922 1,445,123 Zimmerman Feb, 13, 1923 1,511,521 Reynolds Oct. 14, 1924 1,845,700 Carlson Feb. 16, 1932 

